Chapter 41: Operation Moonbust

  “Red, Blue, Yellow?” A voice called out through the coms, “Are you three ready?”

  Then three answered yes, but someone also had an additional question to ask.

  Li–Red–replied, “What about the rest of the team?”

  The dy on the other end sighed a very long sigh before answering, “They got nabbed by another leader, apparently who had been talking with them without my knowledge for a long while. That’s against protocol!”

  Li’s team leader continued to compin, “I get it, the boss man was upset with me interrupting him but still! No need to butcher my team.”

  Another member of the team, a quiet male voice asked. “How long after 8 o'clock will we need to wait for you?”

  Li and the team knew the portals would activate at 8 a.m. today, but their boss always decred she would arrive at different times, never keeping it consistent.

  “I’ll be in the area.” Their leader replied, “Remember don’t make contact, just communicate if you find Nina.”

  Li was wearing what seemed to be casual clothes, but they were designed to not attract much attention. These were given to her and the rest of the team a long time ago, and now they were already walking around different parts of the city.

  “Understood.” The three replied, but Li also internally sighed.

  Please, let nothing bad happen.

  The rose-coloured lenses were gone, and she no longer felt comfortable being here.

  “Red.”

  “Yes, leader?”

  “I wish you luck.” The leader replied in an energetic voice, Li could imagine her dancing around giving the thumbs up.

  “Understood?” This type of behaviour wasn’t unusual, but it did mean she had something pnned for after the mission.

  Stay safe Aunty.

  “WHY DIDN’T YOU TELL US SOONER!” Mother yelled at me.

  It might've been Saturday night, and I only now finally told Tel and Mel about the potential appearance of Dominous Hood in a family meeting that I asked for.

  I tried calming them down, “Cause I wasn’t sure about the information, and it was likely nothing would happen.”

  Should I have told them earlier? Yes. Did I regret not? Also yes. And currently, this was the most tired I had felt in over four years.

  “Mother,” said Tyell.

  Mother snapped back, “Yes Tyell, did you know about this?!”

  He shrugged, “For about a day-ish.”

  Can’t say this was the exact reaction I was expecting, I could count the number of times I had seen my Mum yell on one hand after all.

  “We need to leave now.” Said Tel.

  I comment, “We aren’t even allowed to leave the city either way.”

  Mel adjusted her wheelchair closer to me, “Why?”

  “Travel restrictions, everyone must give at bare minimum one week's notice or face possible jail time. Even leaving by space has the restriction for those on a tourist visa.”

  Mel mumbled, “So you found out less than a week ago.”

  I just nodded and continued with what I was trying to say earlier, “Sorry for not telling you earlier…”

  Mother sighed and finally calmed down, “Have you at least tried telling the authorities?”

  “Yes, it didn't go well.”

  …

  Mother released the tension building up in her body and sat down on the couch near where Mel’s wheelchair was.

  “Fine,” Mother muttered, “The four of us will move as a unit away from the busy parts of the city.” Mother had a simir pn that Tyell and I thought. It was a good pn.

  Then I dropped the part I couldn’t say earlier, “Oh, I won’t be here.”

  Mother froze and a soft anger appeared on her face, “What.”

  I closed my eyes, “I’m going to deal with the problem.”

  “Ceel–”

  “Look, nothing you’ll say would change my mind.” I pointed at Mel and Tyell, “Any of you. Tyell will look after you two as well. I also asked Li to keep an eye out if anything happens.”

  “But what about you!” Mother cried, and I slightly opened my eyes. I just noticed Mel biting her lip in frustration.

  “About me?” I replied, “I will live one way or another.” Which just made Mother and Mel madder and Tyell was becoming noticeably more frustrated, but he understood my predicament more. Not completely, just more.

  “This is something I need to do.” A subtle insane bloodlust appeared in my eyes–which I was trying to hide–and I closed them quickly. “I’ll see you all when I’m back.”

  Mel rushed forward, “When will that be!”

  “This afternoon?” I replied, “Maybe tomorrow if it takes me a little bit longer to get home.”

  …

  Mother was silent and crying, Mel looked worried, and Tel looked like he was stuck between a rock and a hard pce.

  “Stay safe…” Mel asked.

  I smiled and rubbed her hair, “Don’t worry, I won’t die.”

  “Ceel.” Mother stood and moved towards and embraced me in a hug, “Come back if anything bad happens, okay?” After half a minute she let go and took a step back.

  Tyell just stood back and said, “Go get them.” Before turning away to avoid the gre from Mel and Tel.

  “Take care, everyone,” I said my goodbyes and quickly left the house.

  After the door closed, Mother ran out after me but I was nowhere to be found.

  …

  Dammit. I internally sighed.

  I stood in front of the portal hiddenly pced in the woods. I had already disrupted all recording devices the Hood set up so there was no info of me ever being here. The portal device was camoufged in the ground and was covered by some branches, it was just big enough to be stood on.

  I hope they stay safe.

  (“ Trust me, they will. You gave them those items for protection after all ”)

  They will help, but they won’t keep them safe forever.

  (“ Nothing will be safe forever, but those three, will be kept a lot safer thanks to the items you bought than you realise ”)

  Espr tried comforting me, which was weird, but I let it happen. I did make those purchases for a reason after all.

  Finally, it neared the activation time that Li told me about, and to wash away some of the negative emotions I was feeling I decided to cheer myself up. By internally shouting.

  Time for Operation Moonbust!

  (“ Operation Moonbust? ”)

  Well yeah. Their base is on Juptar, which is a moon, and if everything goes well I should be exploding it. So Moon-Bust.

  Espr stayed silent for a moment before responding.

  (“ Yes… you are correct ”)

  I did one st-minute check to ensure everything was ready. I was wearing the new armour I had purchased as well as the small mounted cannon and the bomb glove.

  I felt a minor mana surge in the portal.

  I requested, Espr.

  (“ I’ve got it ”)

  Espr activated the portal device, bypassing the signature requirements and the need to scan my mana.

  The blue portal light engulfed me as I stood on the device, and in a brief moment, I appeared in a small room filled with simir devices with a crowd waiting in the depths of space.

  “Hello, world!” I yelled as a bright red fire burst forth from me.

  “Time to make this moon a short-lived sun!”

  It was time to get to work.

  A dy wearing what seemed to be a casual green dress with a white flower pattern adorned on the bottom half of it.

  Her blond hair was tied up into a long ponytail and her green eyes stared unfocused on the city in front of her.

  “Not too many injured…”

  Bobple